https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-ceo-didnt-think-nintendo-switch-would-succ/1100-6453147/

The Nintendo Switch has been off to a successful start so far; even six months after launch, the console consistently sells out from retailers soon after supplies become available. Of course, this early success was hardly a forgone conclusion, and even the CEO of The Pokemon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, had doubts about the console's prospects.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Ishihara revealed that he didn't think Switch would appeal to players. "I told Nintendo that Switch wouldn't be a success before it went on sale because I thought that, in the age of the smartphone, no one would carry around a game console," he said through a translator. "It's obvious I was wrong. I came to realize the key to a successful game is quite simple: software with absolute quality leads sales of hardware. Playing style can be flexible if the software is attractive enough."